We're getting into crunch time in the regular season. Three games left for every team in the Central Section, many of them huge league tilts that will alter seeding for the playoffs. Still, the pecking order right now is pretty well established.

1. Fresno-Bullard (7-0, Division I, last week: 1) — For the first time since the early part of the season, I considered knocking the Knights off of their No. 1 perch, after they struggled to put away Reedley and Buchanan hammered Clovis West. But I think Bullard has earned enough benefit of the doubt for a shaky game. Just about everyone in the County-Metro Athletic Conference, though, seems dangerous.
LAST WEEK: won at Reedley, 52-42. THIS WEEK: at Sanger

2. Clovis-Buchanan (7-0, Division I, last week: 2) — You don't find many teams that can put up 38 points on Clovis West with 352 passing yards, but you don't find many teams that suit up QB Lance Orender and gifted receivers Jake East, Kyle Novak and Seth Moranda.
LAST WEEK: won vs. No. 7 Clovis West, 38-14. THIS WEEK: at Clovis

3. Tulare Union (7-0, Division II, last week: 3) — Every now and then, East Yosemite League fans try to manufacture a "showdown" between TU and another team that has a good record in the league. But there's too big of a gap for that description to be accurate. Porterville took a whipping in the EYL's big game last week; now, Delano will take its shot.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Porterville, 56-21. THIS WEEK: at Delano

4. Stockdale (6-1, Division I, last week: 4) — I was tempted to move the Mustangs into the three spot — no team has been more consistently impressive — but that one-point loss to Bakersfield still bothers me. Stockdale has gotten better, but there were times when the Drillers were running at will. No matter; if Stockdale keeps winning, it'll get that No. 3 spot and then some.
LAST WEEK: won at Ridgeview, 41-7. THIS WEEK: vs. North

5. Fresno-Central (5-2, Division I, last week: 5) — The rare sleeper that actually matierializes into a legitimate title threat, Central has taken a flashy offensive team and made it into a winner. The Grizzlies have allowed just 17 points in three quality wins over the past three weeks. Now they should cruise to 7-2 before a Week 10 meeting with Buchanan, probably with the Tri-River title on the line.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Clovis East, 20-7. THIS WEEK: at Madera

6. Bakersfield (5-2, Division I, last week: 6) — It's almost hard to fathom this, but is it possible the Drillers are flying under the radar a bit? Don't forget, Bakersfield was on its way to running Stockdale out of the building in the first quarter when the mistakes started coming, and while they haven't really stopped, the first California team to 700 victories is a threat to win it all if they can put everything together.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Foothill, 40-14. THIS WEEK: vs. Golden Valley

7. Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial (6-1, Division II, last week: 10) — The third member of Sleepers Row is Memorial, which notched its second shutout and fourth game allowing 6 or fewer points in Week 7. I'd like to see the Panthers get together with Liberty — it might end scoreless.
LAST WEEK: won at Madera South, 26-0. THIS WEEK: vs. Fresno-Roosevelt

8. Liberty (4-3, Division I, last week: 9) — In similar fashion, the Patriots got their second shutout of the year against Golden Valley. I doubt they'll shut out East and the county's passing leader, Joe Pearson, but they'll be able to show off an improved offense instead. By the way, the seeding I've done in my head has Liberty getting another shot against Stockdale in the D-I quarterfinals.
LAST WEEK: won at Golden Valley, 34-0. THIS WEEK: vs. East

9. Clovis West (2-5, Division I, last week: 7) — Another example of a team falling below one of its victims, but the Golden Eagles can't keep getting a pass on their hellacious schedule. There's certainly time for this ranking to improve, but what happens if the defending champs lose one of their final three? I guess they'll still go to the playoffs, but they'd be a 4-6 team.
LAST WEEK: lost at No. 2 Clovis-Buchanan, 38-17. THIS WEEK: vs. Clovis East

10. Frontier (7-0, Division II, last week: 12) — It's one thing to have a good team and surprise people with a big early win, like the Titans did at Tehachapi back in Week 2. But Frontier has been consistently good, and even when they've slipped, like last week, they still pour on the points and win big. These last three weeks will be very interesting.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Highland, 36-10. THIS WEEK: vs. South

11. Fresno-Edison (4-3, Division II, last week: 8) — The shock of the week for me was the Tigers' Thursday loss to Sanger, the same team that lost to Buchanan by 43 and to Clovis East by 35 earlier this year. Granted, Edison was missing Tevin McDonald, a stud running back and defensive back, for the last three quarters, but he'll be gone against Hoover this week too, and the Tigers better figure something else out.
LAST WEEK: lost vs. Sanger, 21-19. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 15 Fresno-Hoover

12. Kingsburg (7-0, Division IV, last week: 13) — After seeing Taft last week, I'm not convinced anymore that the Vikings are a shoo-in to win Division IV. Then again, Kingsburg can score points and stop you, and they did both to the Wildcats in a 36-0 quarterfinal win on the day before Thanksgiving last year.
LAST WEEK: won at Visalia-Central Valley Christian, 49-7. THIS WEEK: vs. Kerman

13. Visalia-El Diamante (6-1, Division II, last week: 14) — With Hanford having a down year, El Diamante in the West Yosemite League is about as much of a mismatch as Tulare Union is in the East Yosemite League. This week against Redwood and next week against that down Hanford team are the two biggest tests El D will get, but those are relative terms.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Hanford West, 56-9. THIS WEEK: vs. Visalia-Redwood

14. Tehachapi (6-1, Division III, last week: 15) — A few ho-hum victories behind them, the Warriors can now start gearing up for the big game with Taft. And it's a good bet the whole mountaintop is almost foaming at the mouth for this one — likely an SSL title and, for Tehachapi, a No. 1 seed in D-III, are at stake.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Bakersfield Christian, 40-12. THIS WEEK: vs. Taft

15. Fresno-Hoover (6-1, Division II, last week: NR) — The easy victory against Sanger a couple of weeks ago looks very good now, and the big win against Clovis North last week will also have legs. Now come two really big games in the last three for a team not many expected to be this good. The season finale is against Bullard.
LAST WEEK: won vs. Clovis North, 37-19. THIS WEEK: vs. No. 11 Fresno-Edison

Dropped out: No. 11 Centennial
Waiting: Centennial, Taft, Fresno-Washington Union, Reedley, Clovis East, West, Clovis North, Sanger, Chowchilla, Garces, Dinuba, Porterville, Delano